NTPC may offer upto 49 per cent equity stake to Qatar Petroleum in its gas-based project at Kayamkulam, to secure fuel supply for its power plant. "We have offered Qatar Petroleum less than 50 per cent stake in our Kayamkulam gas-based power station in Kerala," NTPC CMD R S Sharma told reporters.The current capacity of the Kayamkulam plant is 350 MW, which the company is planning to expand to 1,050 MW in the next two years and further expand it to 1,800 MW later.

The company may form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the last stage (1,800 MW) expansion of the power project, in which it would offer stake to Qatar Petroleum.

NTPC is keen to get Qatar in Kayamkulum project, as the Gulf-nation would help in return by bringing gas for the plant.

With uncertainty over gas from Reliance Industries' KG Basin, the deal with Qatar Petroleum would give some stability to India's largest power producer.

NTPC plans to become 75,000 MW company by 2017 and to achieve the target the company needs to have assured supply of fuel both coal and gas.

The company generates about 4,000 MW of electricity from its seven gas-based plants and 1,940 MW from Ratanagiri plant in joint venture with GAIL and Maharashtra State Electricity Board.

The company is planning a mega expansion of 6,000 MW for its functional gas-based stations at Kawas and Gandhar (Gujarat), Auraiya and Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and Kayamkulam in Kerala.

For the capacity addition of this magnitude, the company requires 30 million standard cubic metres of gas per day (mmscmd). One MMSCMD is needed for firing a 200 MW gas-based power project.